Page:The Harveian oration - delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, London, June 29th, 1867 (IA b22315263).pdf/29

Rh who are "looking into the mechanism of the world, and trying to find it out." Nay, the doubting sarcasm compels us to go further, and fearlessly assert that we are first amongst those seekers after an insight into God's works; for, inasmuch as the human frame is the climax of creative power, and inasmuch as all knowledge in every branch of science must be mastered before the meanest of its parts or the simplest of its functions can be duly comprehended, so do we claim to have the greatest and the noblest of subjects for our particular study. We must be not only versed in some special branch of philosophy, but we must be able to take a comprehensive view of all established truths, to concentrate them in one focus, and throw their combined light upon our work. And, whilst we thus repel the incredulity of those without, let me be allowed one hint to those within our pale, and give utterance to the conviction that no man can be a good or in any sense a real physician, who fails in hopefulness of the coming triumphs of medical